Hair: A+ Heather Props at New Perspective Salon: www.newperspectivesalon.com/">http://www.newperspectivesalon.com/
Heather has been my stylist for more than 10 years so I already love her. But she took the extra time and care to make sure my wedding updo was just what I dreamed. We had multiple trials at no extra cost and she was so creative based on the ideas I gave her. She was patient, thorough and knows what she’s doing. I’d highly recommend her to anyone. Plus, she’s budget friendly.
Nails: A- Mod Salon: http://modsalonohio.com/home
I’ve been having my nails done here for a couple years now and I can honestly say I love all the technicians. I feel totally pampered when I leave. It has a great retro vibe. Plus the owners are two of the ones who work there every day and they make all their scrubs from scratch.
I would normally give them an A+ but there was a mix-up for one of my bridesmaid’s appointments and it made her late for our rehearsal dinner.
Cake Balls: A+ Amanda Fishburn (contact me directly at brittiny.lenz@gmail.com for Amanda’s contact information)
We opted for something non traditional when it came to the wedding cake. Instead of your typical tiered cake, we decided to do cake balls instead. If you’ve never had them, you’re missing out. I had them made with red velvet cake, cream cheese icing and covered in white chocolate. We had a small vanilla cake made for us to cut into but the cake balls were for everyone else. It was something different and delicious. I think people ate more of it too because it was something different. Amanda is one of my co-workers who has been making the cake balls for friends for a while now. This was her first wedding. She was amazing. She constantly consulted me for how I wanted the display, colors, flavors, etc. Amazing attention to detail. Definitely a must for brides looking for something unusual.
Hotel: A The Westin: www.westincolumbus.com/">http://www.westincolumbus.com/
We stayed at the hotel the night before and of the wedding and did a room block here for guests. The location of the hotel was perfect – just a few blocks away from Via Vecchia. I loved the historical nature and significance of the building as well as how beautiful it was. I got great service from Phil BeMiller to arrange the room block. He was attentive, easy to work with and always quick to return calls/emails. We did get upgraded to a nicer suite at no extra cost because we were getting married. I was surprised that there was no mini-fridge in the room though. Other than that, nothing too special. Although it might have been one of the most comfortable beds I ever slept in.
Spray Tan: A+ Allvera Body Wraps: http://allveradublin.com/
This spray tan was amazing! I’ve never had one before where they actually spray you down themselves. They worked with me to find the perfect shade and applied the right number of applications to achieve the look. I was a little worried because I had never had one before but I knew I needed some color with my dress. It turned out fantastic! There was no streaking, orange tint, excessive fading, etc. Plus they are super affordable (only $35). Sure beats most of the tanning packages these days and without all the skin damage.
Wedding dress & bridesmaids dresses: B - David’s Bridal: www.davidsbridal.com/HomeView">http://www.davidsbridal.com/HomeView
Surprisingly, I didn’t have a bad experience at David’s Bridal, but I think I knew what to expect when going in. This is not a place you’re going to be pampered and treated special. It’s your discount chain of wedding dresses. That was fine by me. I was a budget shopper. I was lucky and ended up with a great sales consultant. I got a lot more one on one attention then most of the brides that day and the consultant actually pulled the dress for me. She listened to what I wanted and pulled it exactly. It was in my budget, it fit, and was the look I was aiming for.
I’ll give David’s Bridal props for having a ton of styles available in every size (hard to come by for the size 14+ crowd) and in every price point.
I do think their alterations department overcharges. They know what they’re doing though because they were with those particular dresses all the time so they have good ideas for your bustle, etc.
When I went for my final fitting however, the woman in alterations was incredibly rude. I had several people with me and she didn’t want to let me out of the alterations room. After taking a peak (literally it was less than 5 mins) she told me that I “can’t stay in it all day.” I was so offended.
I wasn’t happy with them either with my bridesmaids dresses. They had a great selection and the color that I was looking for, plus they were super affordable. But the ordering was horrible. My MOH had to “order” her dress on four separate occasions because it was never processed. I hated for her to suffer through that.
Bride’s earrings: A+ T’s Studio Jewelry: www.etsy.com/shop/TZTUDIO">http://www.etsy.com/shop/TZTUDIO
I totally splurged on my bridal earings and got the Carolyn ones. I had seen them months before but put off buying them till the last minute. I am so glad I did. They were the perfect compliment to my dress and veil. They stood out in pictures without being overwhelming and will be a piece of jewelry I can keep and cherish. The shop owner typically takes 6 weeks to send them (they’re made to order) but rushed them at no extra cost to me. I got tons of compliments on them.
Flower girl dress: A+ A Bushel & A Peck: www.etsy.com/shop/abushelandapeckbiz">http://www.etsy.com/shop/abushelandapeckbiz
My one-year-old daughter looked adorable in this fancy ivory eyelet dress! It fit her perfectly and matched my dress as closely as possible. I didn’t want the traditional big flower girl dresses and this fit my theme perfectly. The shop owner was so easy to work with and she was willing to personalize any part of the dress and bloomers that I wanted. It was even more beautiful in person than the picture shows.